Step 12: ROAR!

Grrr... Arrrgh! In this tutorial, I'm going to guide you gently through the process of using Autodesk 123D Make to turn a 3D model of a dinosaur into a cardboard model kit. It's extremely simple to do, even if you have no prior experience of using 3D software. You will, however, require either a laser cutter or a heck of a lot of patience for cutting cardboard.

123D Make is free and available to download for Macs at http://www.123dapp.com/make. There are also plans in the works to release an online version of the software which will run on PCs as well as Macs, hopefully within the next few months.

Step 1: Start up 123D Make

First things first: open up 123D Make. You should be presented with a clean, almost empty interface.

In the top left, you'll see a tab labeled "Start shape". This is where you choose the object that you'd like to slice. You can either select a shape from the small library of default models, of you can import your own STL or OBJ file. If you've got something other than a T-Rex that you'd prefer to make, then go ahead and do that.

You can download the T-Rex model here and then open it by clicking on Import in 123D Make.

<p>I still dont understand the numbering system of the layers. for example 113-2 or 119-3 what does the mean. I have roughly 750+ pieces so I would like to understand this before I tackle this project. </p>

<p>The first number is the layer number. A second number will only appear if there are more than one part available for that layer.</p><p>For instance, if you were modeling a saguaro cactus, you'll probably only get 1 number for the parts that comprise the base until the section where one of the arms start bulging out. Beyond that, you'll get two parts -- one for the main trunk and another for the arm. Let's say at that point, you're already at the 100th layer, the part for the trunk will be 100-1, while the arm is 100-2. If your cactus has two arms, then the trunk will be 100-1, while the left arm is 100-2 and the right arm is 100-3.</p><p>But it's best if you study the automatically generated assembly instructions first. I use that one as a reference to find out where a particular part is located in the diagrams and where a part would go to, in the case where you get the XXX-YY part id.</p>

<p>how do you do a vertical slice? i seem to only be able to do a horizontal slice</p>

<p>INCREDIBLE!</p>

<p>I went a step further in that I sliced off part of the body so that it could sit on a desk or mantle and look like it was popping up out of it. It's quite a popular item on the display case at TechShop Chandler. Many people have asked me to start selling them.</p>

How did you slice it? I've tried for hours and can't figure it out.

I thought I had already replied to this, so I'm sorry for the delay. I used 123d Design to create a cube, then intersected the cube with the part of the dinosaur that I wanted to get rid of. Then I just did a boolean subtract operation.

I used Autodesk 123d Design to make a cube, positioned the cube so that the cube and the part of the body that I wanted gone were intersecting. Then it's just a simple boolean subtract operation. I could have used Blender, or any other 3d modeling software. Then I used 123d Make to make the individual slices of the remaining part to make the dinosaur head.

can you make a bigger photo of the pieces or a PDF file or something? I want to do it by hand, cutting all the pieces out one by one, but the picture's quality is to bad to be able to print it out, the numbers are not readable :'( <br> <br>please, please please :'( <br>thanks in advance

Hi, <br><br>Everytime I try to import my OBJ file into 123D-make, the program crashes. I tried multiple different files. Nothing works.<br><br>I work on Mac.<br><br>Any idea of what the problem might be? Or anyone nice enough to run my file through their program and sending me the exported puzzle. I am losing patience.

seems to work very hard

Thanx.. but I did not even look further :~(<br>I am so CUT-UP that I am still stuck with the BillGutless system.<br>Excuse the pun.<br><br>Good news about pc based in pipeline.<br><br>I envy you

If you do a Google search you will find that the Windows version is called 'Create' - <br>http://www.123dapp.com/create <br>check it out

Oh how I wish that were fully true. <br>You can use 123D on a PC, but the 123D MAKE (add-in?) is not available for PC just yet. <br>123D Guys need to hurry up on that one! :) Please....

I made a mistake in my post. <br>The software is 123D CATCH for Windows <br> <br>123D MAKE is for Mac OS - 123D CATCH is for Windows <br>its a Public Beta release I think. <br> <br>That is what I understand from the AUTODESK site, I have downloaded the software but have not installed it yet - a weekend thing and today is Friday here. <br>Buggered if I know why they just didnt have the same name and OS type change, thats Autodesk. <br> <br>If I am wrong, I appologise in advance.

123D Catch allows you to take photos of an object or landscape and turn it into a 3D model. So there is still not a 3D MAKE for PC.

FamilyGuy2006 is right: the PC software and the Mac software are very different. There's sometimes a bit of (understandable) confusion about what piece of 123D software does what, so here's the run-down:<br />
<br />
123D is the name given to a small family of different Autodesk programs, all of which are aimed at getting complete beginners involved in 3D modeling.
<ul>
<li>
<strong>123D Catch </strong>allows you to convert photos into 3D models. You take a whole load of snapshots of a single object, building or person and the software magically makes a 3D model from them. It is currently only available for the PC.</li>
<li>
<strong>123D Make</strong> lets you slice up 3D models into different 2D pieces that you can then cut out and assemble, as shown in this tutorial. It is currently only available for the Mac.</li>
<li>
<strong>123D Sculpt </strong>is a tactile sculpting app for the iPad. It lets you sculpt an object out of virtual clay via a very intuitive and user-friendly interface.</li>
<li>
Most confusingly of all, there is also a piece of software just called <strong>123D</strong>, which is a 3D modeling program currently only available for the PC. 123D is a more traditional design program, rather&nbsp;like AutoCAD, only&nbsp;much simpler and easier&nbsp;to use. It lets you design an object from&nbsp;scratch.</li>
</ul>
Why all of the different software platforms? As I understand it, that's just a quirk resulting from different teams working on all the different pieces of software at the same time. The end goal is to make all the software available online for any operating system. Within the next few months, you should start seeing much more integration between all of 123D's different branches.<br />
<br />
I hope that cleared some things up!

Great news everybody! 123D Make is now an ONLINE APP. It only does slice build ups, no radial or orthogonal gap slice builds. But its at least SOMETHING that I can use on my PC! Though I have been unsuccesful in uploading any STL file I still have hope

Cool dino. Do you know that Noah took to his boat 2 dinos but they was boys both? Ahahaha =))

For all the work and technology needed, making this out of cardboard doesn't make sense to me. If the laser cutter can do thin plywood, or balsa wood, it would be much better, as you'd get a more permanent sculpture. <br> <br>Otherwise, once you can print paper sheets with all the slices, glue it to plywood (so that it is removable afterward) or trace it into the wood, and cut them with a hand coping saw with fine teeth. <br> <br>I think this would be more in the Instructables &quot;spirit&quot; as well <br> <br>best regards,

Awesome instructable... but.. a laser cutter? how many people you think has a laser cutter at home or at work?! I will invest a lot of hours, or at least... will search for an instructable for lasercutters :D <br>Thanks for the perfect guide!

FamilyGuy2006 is right: the PC software and the Mac software are very different. There's sometimes a bit of (understandable) confusion about what piece of 123D software does what, so here's the run-down:<br /><br />123D is the name given to a small family of different Autodesk programs, all of which are aimed at getting complete beginners involved in 3D modeling.<br /><ul><br /> <li><br /> <strong>123D Catch </strong>allows you to convert photos into 3D models. You take a whole load of snapshots of a single object, building or person and the software magically makes a 3D model from them. It is currently only available for the PC.</li><br /> <li><br /> <strong>123D Make</strong> lets you slice up 3D models into different 2D pieces that you can then cut out and assemble, as shown in this tutorial. It is currently only available for the Mac.</li><br /> <li><br /> <strong>123D Sculpt </strong>is a tactile sculpting app for the iPad. It lets you sculpt an object out of virtual clay via a very intuitive and user-friendly interface.</li><br /> <li><br /> Most confusingly of all, there is also a piece of software just called <strong>123D</strong>, which is a 3D modeling program currently only available for the PC. 123D is a more traditional design program, rather&nbsp;like AutoCAD, only&nbsp;much simpler and easier&nbsp;to use. It lets you design an object from&nbsp;scratch.</li><br /></ul><br />Why all of the different software platforms? As I understand it, that's just a quirk resulting from different teams working on all the different pieces of software at the same time. The end goal is to make all the software available online for any operating system. Within the next few months, you should start seeing much more integration between all of 123D's different branches.<br /><br />I hope that cleared some things up!

http://www.123dapp.com/123d ... it says you can make slices too... i don't find the function :( will wait for guide. ^^

So the make one isn't currently avaible for windows, but I saw there is a service of lasercutting and shipping.. I will see... but for now I can't make slices of the project, so can't order anything... :(<br>(Autodesk 123d Beta for windows is quite useless, is a maya 3d reproduction, or at least blender 3d... I can upload the project you made, but can't do anything but edit the 3d project, not slice... (or maybe i'm really noob :( and that's a possible option!!!))

In one copy shop near by they have a laser cutter which costs 50$ per hour. I think for cutting a cardboard like this takes few minutes. I live in Slovenia, which is very small country in Europe, so I think lasers are available &quot;everywhere&quot; nowadays.

And why no Instructables Robot?

Robot looks pretty silly waffled, as too much detail is lost, but we're experimenting with a sliced version soon. The antennae are problematic in either case.

The corrugations in the cardboard should only have impact on the scale of the final model to render the details. I would think a laser cutter should be able to cut one corrugation width paper straw.Change out to matte board. So this means it fails the sputnik test of 3-d modeling. All it takes is a sphere with some pencils stuck in it. I would stick a couple of IKEA pencils in for Robot's antennae. <br><br>

I don't mine cutting the pieces out with a x-acto knife. Does it show a detailed way to put it together in the pdf?

Oh, second time I forgot to say. <br> <br>Thanks for the Instructable and the pointer to the 123D software, my kids will make HUGE use of it